Essay Instructions: ~Profiling an International Firm~
~Goal/Objectives~
This project is a semester-long endeavor, starting from Day 1 of class. In the past I have used similar projects to this one, in which students can apply weekly-lessons learned towards the finishing of an overall project. Each week, if at all possible, some time should be devoted to incorporating the discussions, lessons and vocabulary learned in class in the final draft of your projects.
For this project, I would like for you to follow 1 of two paths:
1.) Examine an existing International Firm, and profile it according to:
a. Organization type,
b. Strategy,
c. Planning,
d. Market Assessment,
e. Marketing Strategy,
f. Organizational Structure,
g. Organizational Culture,
h. Locations of the Organization,
i. Business Operations (Import/Export, Banking, etc.), and then:
i. How does this company confront the environmental, political, social, economic, legal, and labor forces of the international economy?
-OR-
2.) Create the profile of an International Firm you would like to establish as an entrepreneur, according to:
a. Organization type of your future organization,
b. Strategy of your future organization,
c. Planning of your future organization,
d. Market Assessment of your future organization,
e. Marketing Strategy of your future organization,
f. Organizational Structure of your future organization,
g. Organizational Culture of your future organization,
h. Locations of the Organization of your future organization,
i. Business Operations (Import/Export, Banking, etc.) of your future organization, and then:
i. How shall your future company confront the environmental, political, social, economic, legal, and labor forces of the international economy?
No matter which path you choose, YOU MUST RESEARCH, CITE, & REFERENCE OUTSIDE SOURCES FROM:
A.) Lirn
B.) NetLibrary,
C.) The Economist,
D.) The Wall Street Journal,
E.) BBC,
F.) CNN,
G.) MSNBC,
H.) Al Jazeera,
I.) ANY PROFESSIONAL/RELIABLE NEWS SOURCE.
~Referencing/Researching Your Project~
Your references must absolutely be in APA style (Please refer to the Course Home Section entitled “Writing Scholarly”, and be sure to visit the Webliography for outside reading sources as well as APA links to guide you.
Please do not forget that I am here to help you, so please, do not hesitate to leave me a message in the virtual office if you need help.
~Reference, Writing & Researching Guides for Your Paper~
Class, please make sure that you revisit the following parts of this online course so that your project goes smoothly:
1.) Webliography APA Links (I shall be looking for APA standards of research throughout your paper),
2.) Webliography Outside Reading Links (These are a great source for helping you build your research basis),
3.) LIRN/ NetLibrary (Again, more great resources for helping you build your research basis of the project),
4.) Writing Scholarly section of the Course Home (Your project shall be heavily weighed against this writing guide),
5.) Plagiarism Policy (Found in the Syllabus under “PLAGIARISM POLICY”)
6.) Semester Project section of the Course Home (As this page will help refresh your memory of what I am looking for in your projects).
Also, do not forget that I can always be reached for any issues regarding this project in the Virtual Office/Email.
~Last Weeks of Class~
Throughout Week 14 I shall be available for you to submit rough drafts for review before your final submission in Week 16, so please be sure to take advantage of my availability. However, make sure that you submit your rough drafts in the “Journal” or “Doc Sharing” sections of your course AND MARK THE DOCUMENTS AS PRIVATE (so that only I can see them). PROJECTS SUBMITTED AFTER THE DUE DATE (11 MAY 2008 @23H59 [11:59 PM] US EST) SHALL RECEIVE 10% OFF FOR EACH DAY NOT RECEIVED!!!!!
Nextly, class, once you have finished your composition please post the final draft (saved in .pdf, .rtf, .doc, or .html) in the Doc Sharing section or the Journal section of your course (please mark private so that only I can see your project).
Finally, Class, have fun with this project: it will not only get you accustomed to researching methodologies for the online learning environment, but it will also enrich your learning experience by placing the concepts we learn in class into a real-world context.
NO ONE ever said that researching and composing a project couldn’t be fun and educational (consider this project your weekly-homework). There is no reason why any member of this class shouldn’t make a high mark on this project worth 175 points with all of these resources available. Good luck! ?
Writing a Scholarly Work:
When writing a scholarly text, there are 10 major points to be considered. I am going to now go over the following 10 points and hope that you will print this out and use this “quick guide” as a sort of measuring stick by which to begin, judge and edit your own research projects in the future. When writing an academic paper, a scholarly paper that shall be reviewed by other scholars and possibly even used as a work of research, one must consider the following:
1.) Document Content, Development & Organization
a. Cover the main focal points/key elements in a substantive way, and, as the author, use your own words/voice while carefully NOT improperly using the words of others (Plagiarism).
b. Content comprehensive, accurate, and/or persuasive
c. CLEARLY state and support/back up the major points of the essay
d. The organization of your paper should emphasize central theme or purpose
e. Where appropriate and necessary, support your major points of the paper with theory (citations/quotations)
f. REMEMBER to use an economy of discourse: eliminate any unnecessary words/quirky sentence structures, etc…
2.) Introduction
a. Purpose identified or problem statement clearly formulated
b. Does the introduction provide sufficient background on the topic?
c. Do the major points of the introduction match the assignment?
d. As the author you must always create a sense of focus and direction for your subject matter to be discussed starting from THE BEGINNING (Introduction)
e. Consider that the introduction would be a good place to preview-prep your audience (the reader) for your subject
3.) Body of Paper
a. Ideas are consistent and flow in logical sequence
b. Make sure not to stray, in writing each and every sentence of each and every paragraph ask yourself is this content worthy of inclusion? – does it serve the purpose of delivering what I originally described/previewed in the introduction? If not, how can it be used to do so? OR, it does not belong. A good rule to remember is that if a point (no matter how wonderful a point it may be) does not easily fit into the greater discourse/scheme of the paper being written, then perhaps it must be left out. Better to leave out a wonderful point that has no logical place in the paper, rather than include a wonderful point with the risk of losing focus/direction.
c. Major points are organized using appropriate headings wherever necessary.
d.Points are supported with appropriate research and references
e. State your ideas clearly and concisely
f. Bridge your topics of discussion-points of interest with transitions from one paragraph to the next, making sure that each paragraph is fully developed.
4.) Conclusion
a. The conclusion should be like a goal or aim. With regards to the conclusion at which you, the author, are arriving, does it flow logically from the material presented?
b. Your conclusion insights should be drawn from summarized major points
c. The conclusion MUST contain a strong closing that lends strength and power to the paper and a sense of well-argued, logically presented completion/closure
5.) Organization
a. Use non-monotonous voice, making sure to use a varied display of CORRECT sentence structure
b. Paragraphs well structured with logical and effective transitions
c. As far as achieving a fully developed body, each one of your paragraphs should touch on ONE of each of your major points of discussion and examine it in great detail with sufficient supporting information
d. Your paper should review relevant concepts and create a coherent theoretical framework for the subject (in some way, however miniscule it may seem, contribute to the theoretic discourses of the subject you are examining).
6.) Punctuation
a. Used correctly throughout the document
b. The word “and” and the ampersand (this is an ampersand = &) are used correctly
c. Punctuation correctly placed with quotations marks
7.) Grammar
a. Subject-verb agreement (For example: Avoiding mistakes like, “She do”, “the dog speak”).
b. Proper voice (active vs. passive) and person used
c. Pronouns unambiguous and congruent (For example: “IT”, “HE”, “SHE”, “THEY” = to what or whom do they refer?)
d. Gender-correct pronouns used
e. Plurals are used correctly
f. Appropriate hyphenation of terms
8.) Style In-Text Citations
a. All outside ideas properly cited (“outside” meaning “not your own”)
b. Citations complete and properly formatted according to APA standards
c. Electronic sources properly cited according to APA standards
d. Personal communications cited in text only
e. Page numbers included for direct quotations are used properly.
f. Indirect or secondary sources properly cited
9.) Text/APA Format
a. Courier/Times Roman 12-point font used
b. Document double-spaced throughout
c. Margins at least 1 inch (2.54cm) on all sides and ragged right edge
d. Paragraphs indented 1/2 inch
e. Headings and subheadings properly formatted
f. No end-of-line hyphenation
g. Only one space after punctuation
h. No bold type used for emphasis
i. Italics used instead of underlining
10.) Tone
a. There is no hyperbole (exaggeration)
b. There is a balanced and scholarly presentation of information
c. Writing is clear and precise
d. Creative writing conventions such as setting up ambiguity, inserting the unexpected, and omitting the expected are avoided
e. Colloquial expressions, slang, clichés or overused phrases are avoided and shunned
f. The author uses an assertive tone and language that is not hesitant, not aggressive, not obnoxious but confident and well-informed
